After her divorce from Jeff Bezos last year, Mackenzie Scott made a public pledge to slowly give away all her money “until the safe is empty”.
And now it seems she has begun the process, announcing that she had donated a staggering $1.7 billion USD ($2.3 billion AUD approx.).
In a heartfelt pledge to The Giving Pledge, Scott reflected on her choice to give most of her wealth away, “We each come by the gifts we have to offer by an infinite series of influences and lucky breaks we can never fully understand. In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share.”
And in a very un-billionaire moment she acknowledged the privileges that have afforded her her wealth, “there’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others”.
In a post to Medium, she shared a breakdown of the areas in which she selected to begin her charitably journey as well as the amount that they have received thus far.
Racial Equity: $ 586,700,000 USD
LGBTQ+ Equity: $ 46,000,000 USD
Gender Equity: $ 133,000,000 USD
Economic Mobility: $ 399,500,000 USD
Empathy & Bridging Divides: $ 55,000,000 USD
Functional Democracy: $ 72,000,000 USD
Public Health: $ 128,300,000 USD
Global Development: $ 130,000,000 USD
Climate Change: $ 125,000,000 USD
While the sum of her donations is almost impossible for us to imagine, it actually doesn’t even make a sizeable dent to her net worth, which still comes in at over $48 billion AUD.
But when working these inconceivable amounts of wealth, it’s safe to say that copious research and learning has to be endeavoured to ensure that these funds are going where they can make a meaningful difference, something that Scott seems to understand as she states, “My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care”.
In a time when it feels like the world is ending and billionaires are just getting richer, it instills some hope to see a powerhouse like Scott take on such a feat.
